redemption: harry styles

Chapter Seventy

I opened my eyes just before the two boys left the car, then I heard a cough; a gagging sound, then footsteps.

I sat up and looked out of the window. Niall was doubled over; a silhouette. Harry stood beside him, one hand pressing to his torso, his wound--the exit, at least; if the knife was big enough to go straight through him--, and the other on Niall's back. I caught Niall heave a sigh and he sat on the edge of the road, his back facing me, his head in his hands. Harry stood in front of him. His lips moved and he rolled his eyes, but I couldn't hear what he was saying.

"What-" I heard a voice from behind me and turned to see a hand grip the headrest of my seat and a body pull itself up. It was the boy from the hotel; Walking Sex or whatever. "Why did we stop? Are we at a gas station?" He asked, basically to himself, and rubbed his eyes. He wore tight jeans and a grey singlet with at least two dozen holes in them.

"I'm afraid not," I said, clearing my throat, wanting to lie back down and sleep.

Ashton looked out from the back window and moaned to himself.

"Niall!" he called out loudly. "I told you Harry should have drove, you idiot."

"That's what I said," Harry called back faintly, then gripped Niall's arm and helped him stand up.

Ashton shook his head and flopped against the backseat, his arms and head dangling over my side of the car. He gave a kick from the back and threw himself forward, crumpling into the seat beside me. His tall, lanky form couldn't exactly fit on one seat with him tangled, so his hand brushed against my knee, trying to pull himself up, and I blushed.

He grunted and sat properly, yanking the seatbelt across his barrel chest. Niall and Harry returned, swapping seats, and the car moved forward again.

"Can we stop at a station," Ashton said, stretching, "and pick up pies and sausage rolls? I'm starving."

"Same," Niall nodded. "Since I just threw up my dinner."

"Ew."

"Sorry." Niall pouted and hummed to himself, looking down at his phone. "Should be a station here somewhere. Maybe turn right after this."

After a few minutes of staring out the window and at the blurry lights flying by, Harry turned into a gas station, saying he'll fill the tank while Niall, Ashton and I find some things to eat.

"Doubt they'll sell pie at this hour," I commented.

"You've never been to Australia, have you?" Ashton smirked and leapt out of the car. I stepped outside, my clothes caught in a strong wind, flapping in the air against my skin, and turned to the two boys with stern glares. "We're paying. We don't need the cops after us, too"

"I'm not stupid," Ashton sneered and strode into the minimarket. Niall rolled his eyes and muttered come on, leading me inside.

"I'll pick up some sandwiches and pastry, if the fat customers left us any, and you go get, I dunno, dip and shit," he told me. "Don't forget drinks."

"Okay." I went into the first aisle and picked out four granola bars, if the journey lasted until the morning and we needed breakfast, seven bottles of water--two for each of us, I had one in the van--, Mentos--because it's mint, and it's yum--, hummus and crackers, and Reese's.

I smiled at the frowning man behind the counter and he straightened, surprised I'm being polite, I guess, and placed everything on the counter.

"One sec," I muttered and rushed to the deli section after stealing a glance outside; Harry was just putting the pump away, ready to go.

I found Ashton and Niall staring at the hot food and donuts. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Just grab everything and let's go, I'm tired." I managed to use a calm voice so that they know I'm being serious.

"The pie isn't that fresh-" Niall begins but Ashton cuts him off.

"Well, duh, shithead; it's the middle of the night." He slid open the glass and pulled them out, one by one; four of them. "And I'm fucking hungry, I don't give jack."

"I'll get a box of donuts, too. They look yum," I said and picked out a box of four.

"What are you doing?" Niall asked, worried.

"What?" I asked. Ashton slid past to the counter. His shoulder brushed mine.

"Get the bigger box, that's not enough!"

"We'll stop at another fricken station," Harry's waiting.

"Good." He grabbed the bigger box, the box of twelve Krispy Kreme donuts. "I think this is enough."

I chuckled and placed the box on the counter. The man behind it pressed his lips together and furrowed his brows at everything on the bench, but he scanned everything, anyway.

Niall gripped a card between his forefinger and thumb and stared at the devices in front of him. "I'm also paying for station 6 outside." The man nodded. "The fuck is this-"

"You swipe it here, moron," Ashton cut in and snatched the card from Niall, sliding the flat side against a small device.

"Australians these days," Niall said, throwing his hands in the air and leaving the market.

"Get the fuck back here and help with the bags you-"

"Don't be a fat-ass and get them yourself."

I groaned loudly, turning my back to the grimace on the worker to hide my embarrassment, and grabbed half of the plastic bags holding our items and left the market, Ashton trailing behind.

"Bout time," Harry grumbled and settled in his seat behind the wheel. Niall let me sit in the passenger's seat.

After Ashton ate his meat pie, he took over driving so Harry could eat. After another half hour, Niall's quiet snores sounded. Another fifteen minutes; Harry was asleep. In five minutes, my eyes dropped, and I leaned my head against the window, my arms crossed over my chest. I closed my eyes. After two minutes, I heard a vibration but kept my eyelids closed.

"Yes?" I heard Ashton say into a phone. I didn't mean to listen, but he's right next to me. I'm sure he knows I'm awake and would pull over or something if the conversation was private.

"Yeah, I'm following your directions." It must be Zayn or something if we're following them. "They're all asleep." Oh.

His voice lowered. "I can do it now, it'll be easy."

My heart pounded. I didn't trust this kid. Something wasn't...right about him.

His voice dropped to a faint whisper. "And? I have a gun."

My eyes shot open.

"Nobody can hurt us without them being half-dead on the ground."

I stared at him, slowly sitting up. He shot me a quick smile and returned his gaze to the road, one muscular hand on the wheel.

"Then I'll run them over, I don't know Liam, shush, we'll make it. You said this place is safe, right?"

"What?" I heard faintly on the other end. It was very faint, but unless Liam's voice became as high pitched as a twelve year old girl and raspier than Harry's in the morning, that wasn't Liam.

"Call later, I'm driving," Ashton said and turned onto another road. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's alright," I shrugged. "I wont be sleeping for a while, now."

-:-:-:-